The European Union Individual Championship held in Liverpool this month was an occasion of some moment for top seed GM Nigel Short. It was the first time Short, former England No 1 and world championship challenger who now resides in Greece, had played in an international tournament in the country of his birth since 1989. The opportunity was not wasted, Short taking outright first place with an unbeaten 7½/10.
Since the break-up of the Soviet Union in the 1990s and the subsequent flood of strong Soviet grandmasters into the European chess scene, professional chess has suffered in the United Kingdom. With too little prizemoney to sustain the influx of professionals, many top English grandmasters have retired from competition. Sponsorship for top events has dried up – perhaps in no small part due to the schism at the top of chess caused by Short himself when he and Garry Kasparov broke away from FIDE the world chess body to stage their match for the world championship for more money in 1993. It can only be hoped the reunification match underway in Elista, Kalmykia for the world title between Veselin Topalov and Vladimir Kramnik will restore some order and make chess attractive to sponsors once again.
Today's game is Short's last round win to emerge from the pack to take the European Union Individual title. He is playing with the white pieces against English GM Mark Hebden.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3 ---
An old response to the Two Knights Defence, which in recent years has been revived to shed some doubt on the soundness of Black's sacrifice. White aims to hang on to the pawn and consolidate. 8. --- h6 9.Ne4 Nd5 10.Ba4 Be7 11.d3 O-O 12.O-O f5 13.Ng3 Be6 14.Re1 ---
Pressure against the e5 pawn is part of White's scheme to stop Black turning his advantage in space and development into an attack. 14. --- Bd6 15.c4 Ne7 16.Bd2 c5 17.Nc3 a6 18.Nd5 Nac6 19.Bxc6 ---
The computer favours 19 Nh5!? here with complicated ideas of attacking g7 or e6 after Nf4. Being human, Short consistently follows his plan to undermine e5 by exchanging a defender. 19. --- Nxc6 20.Bc3 Qe8 21.h3 Rd8 22.Re2 Bb8 23.Rae1 a5 24.a3 Nd4 25.Bxd4 cxd4 26.Nb6
Breaking up the centre with 26 Rxe5!? Bxe5 27 Rxe5 Bxd5 28 Rxd5 leaving White with 2 pawns for the exchange and many weak Black pawns to exploit was a more active option here. The move played allows Black to use his central pawns to drive White back and re-establish material equality. 26. --- e4! 27.dxe4 f4 28.Nf1 Qc6 29.Nd5 Qxc4 30.Nd2 Qb5 31.Qb3 Qxb3 32.Nxb3 Bxd5 33.exd5 Rxd5 34.Rd2 Be5 35.Nc1 a4? 36.Nd3 ---
This superb blockading knight keeps a small advantage for White – simultaneously halting the d-pawn and defending the weak b2 pawn. Black's weak a4 pawn will come under rook attack. 36. --- Bd6 37.Rc2! f3 38.g3 h5 39.Rc4 h4 40.g4 Ra5?
The a-pawn is doomed anyway. Instead 40 ... Rb8 41 Rxa4 Rb3 would have caused White more difficulty. 41.Rxd4 Rf6 42.Ree4 Bc7 43.Kf1 Rc6 44.Rxa4 Rxa4 45.Rxa4 ---
Two pawns up, Short does not falter. 45. --- Rd6 46.Ne1 Rd1 47.Re4 Rb1 48.Re8+ Kh7 49.Rf8 Bd6 50.Rxf3 Rxb2 51.Rc3 Be5 52.Rd3 Bb8 53.Nf3 Ba7 54.Rd2 Rb3 55.Kg2 Rxa3 56.Nxh4 Bb8 57.Nf3 Bf4 58.Rd4 g5 59.h4
A trivial endgame win results after 59 ... Ra5 60 Nxg5+ Bxg5 61 hxg5 Rxg5 62 Kg3 etc.
Triumphant return home for Short
Problem: White to play and mate in 3.
The European Union Individual Championship held in Liverpool this month was an occasion of some moment for top seed GM Nigel Short. It was the first time Short, former England No 1 and world championship challenger who now resides in Greece, had played in an international tournament in the country of his birth since 1989. The opportunity was not wasted, Short taking outright first place with an unbeaten 7½/10.
Since the break-up of the Soviet Union in the 1990s and the subsequent flood of strong Soviet grandmasters into the European chess scene, professional chess has suffered in the United Kingdom. With too little prizemoney to sustain the influx of professionals, many top English grandmasters have retired from competition. Sponsorship for top events has dried up – perhaps in no small part due to the schism at the top of chess caused by Short himself when he and Garry Kasparov broke away from FIDE the world chess body to stage their match for the world championship for more money in 1993. It can only be hoped the reunification match underway in Elista, Kalmykia for the world title between Veselin Topalov and Vladimir Kramnik will restore some order and make chess attractive to sponsors once again.
Today's game is Short's last round win to emerge from the pack to take the European Union Individual title. He is playing with the white pieces against English GM Mark Hebden.
1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bc4 Nf6
4.Ng5 d5
5.exd5 Na5
6.Bb5+ c6
7.dxc6 bxc6
8.Qf3 ---
An old response to the Two Knights Defence, which in recent years has been revived to shed some doubt on the soundness of Black's sacrifice. White aims to hang on to the pawn and consolidate.
8. --- h6
9.Ne4 Nd5
10.Ba4 Be7
11.d3 O-O
12.O-O f5
13.Ng3 Be6
14.Re1 ---
Pressure against the e5 pawn is part of White's scheme to stop Black turning his advantage in space and development into an attack.
14. --- Bd6
15.c4 Ne7
16.Bd2 c5
17.Nc3 a6
18.Nd5 Nac6
19.Bxc6 ---
The computer favours 19 Nh5!? here with complicated ideas of attacking g7 or e6 after Nf4. Being human, Short consistently follows his plan to undermine e5 by exchanging a defender.
19. --- Nxc6
20.Bc3 Qe8
21.h3 Rd8
22.Re2 Bb8
23.Rae1 a5
24.a3 Nd4
25.Bxd4 cxd4
26.Nb6
Breaking up the centre with 26 Rxe5!? Bxe5 27 Rxe5 Bxd5 28 Rxd5 leaving White with 2 pawns for the exchange and many weak Black pawns to exploit was a more active option here. The move played allows Black to use his central pawns to drive White back and re-establish material equality.
26. --- e4!
27.dxe4 f4
28.Nf1 Qc6
29.Nd5 Qxc4
30.Nd2 Qb5
31.Qb3 Qxb3
32.Nxb3 Bxd5
33.exd5 Rxd5
34.Rd2 Be5
35.Nc1 a4?
36.Nd3 ---
This superb blockading knight keeps a small advantage for White – simultaneously halting the d-pawn and defending the weak b2 pawn. Black's weak a4 pawn will come under rook attack.
36. --- Bd6
37.Rc2! f3
38.g3 h5
39.Rc4 h4
40.g4 Ra5?
The a-pawn is doomed anyway. Instead 40 ... Rb8 41 Rxa4 Rb3 would have caused White more difficulty.
41.Rxd4 Rf6
42.Ree4 Bc7
43.Kf1 Rc6
44.Rxa4 Rxa4
45.Rxa4 ---
Two pawns up, Short does not falter.
45. --- Rd6
46.Ne1 Rd1
47.Re4 Rb1
48.Re8+ Kh7
49.Rf8 Bd6
50.Rxf3 Rxb2
51.Rc3 Be5
52.Rd3 Bb8
53.Nf3 Ba7
54.Rd2 Rb3
55.Kg2 Rxa3
56.Nxh4 Bb8
57.Nf3 Bf4
58.Rd4 g5
59.h4
A trivial endgame win results after 59 ... Ra5 60 Nxg5+ Bxg5 61 hxg5 Rxg5 62 Kg3 etc.
1-0
Solution:1 Nh6! Qxh6 (1 ... Kh8 2 Rxf8#) 2 Rxf8+! Kxf8 3 Qd8#.